Coupler



in normal position, the rotor 24 may be turned in a clockwise direction from the position of Figures 1 and 2 to that of Figure 3, thus moving the rotor lever 20 about the axis 44 as a center so that the leg 46 of the rotor lever is elevated, thus sliding the toggle IO to the upper end of the slot l4 in the lock and elevating the lock to unlock the knuckle in usual manner. When the parts are so actuated as illustrated in said'Figure 3, the rotor lever 20, being rotated in its normal lowermost position on the axis 44, raises the toggle to the upper end of the slot [4 in the bottom of the lock without engaging the upper end of the toggle with the anticreep lug 4 in manner well known in the present standard E coupler. It may be noted that the rotor lever 20 has a radial surface 48 forwardly of the lug or shoulder 30 which may have smooth slidable engagement with the radial surface 36 on the bottom wall of the coupler in case some slight upward movement of the rotor lever should occur under the normal Operating conditions illustrated in Figure 3. Tests of my novel looking arrangement on the beforementioned test machine have been made with the Operating rod applied to the coupler in usual manner and these tests have demonstrated that under such shock conditions as are frequently encountered in service, the looking feature engaged before the handle swing was sufiicient to turn the rotor and the rotor lever far enough to prevent the lug 30 from entering the notch in the bottom wall 28 and engaging the shoulder 34. These tests also prove that when the coupler was in a perfectly level position, longitudinal shocks alone were suflicient to cause engagement of the self-looking feature since such shocks were effective to slide the hook end of the rotor lever diagonally upward along the fiattened portion of the rotor 24 toward or into the position illustrated in Figure 2. These tests have also shown that my novel invention is effective to hold down the lock under certain Vertical, longitudinal, or combined Vertical and longitudinal shocks as have been known to cause failure of the present standard anticreep.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in'the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car coupler having a knuckle and a lock depending through an opening in the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, means on said bottom wall supporting a rotor, a rotor pivotally mounted on said means, said rotor having a fiattened portion, a rotor lever having a jaw end receiving said fiattened portion for rotation therewith and slidable movement therealong, and a link connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said link having a shoulder adapted to engage said anticreep lug when elevated by movement of said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wallhaving interlocking means adapted to engage each other against accidental unlocking movement when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock, said interlocking means comprising a shoulder on said bottom wall and a complementary shoulder on said jaw end and faces on said shoulders approximately parallel with the fiattened portion of said rotor when said parts are in normal locked position, said jaw end having radial faces fore and aft the shoulder thereon, said aft radial face being adapted to seat against a complementary face on said bottom wall when said interlocking means are in engagement and said forward radial face being adapted to have slidable engagement with said radial face on said bottom wall as said rotor is actuated in uncoupling movement.

2. In a railway car coupler having a knuckle and a lock depending through an opening in the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, means on said bottom wall supporting a rotor, a rotor pivotally mounted on said means, said rotor having a fiattened portion, a rotor lever having a jaw end receiving said fiattened portion for rotation therewith and slidable movement therealong, and a link connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said link having a shoulder adapted to engage said anticreep lug when elevated by movement of said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having interlocking means adapted to engage each other against vaccidental unlocking movement when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock, said unlocking means comprising a shoulder on said bottom wall and a complementary shoulder on said jaw end and faces on said Shoulders approximately parallel with the fiattened portion of said rotor when said parts are in normal locked position, said jaw end having radial portions forward and aft the shoulder thereon adapted respectively to seat against a complementary portion on said bottom wall under different Operating conditions.

3. In a railway car coupler having a knuckle and a lock depending through an opening in the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, means on said bottom wall supporting a rotor, a rotor pivotally mounted on said means, said rotor having a fiattened portion, a rotor lever having a jaw end receiving said fiattened portion for rotation therewith and slidable movement therealong, and a link connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said link having a shoulder adapted to engage said anticreep lug when elevated by movement of said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having interlocking means adapted to engage each other against accidental unlocking movement when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock, said interlocking means comprising la shoulder on said bottom wall and a complementary shoulder on said jaw end and faces on said shoulders approximately parallel with the fiattened portion of said rotor when said parts are in norm-al locked position, said jaw end having radial faces fore and aft the shoulder thereon, said aft radial face being adapted to seat against a complementary face on said bottom wall when said interlocking means are in engagement.

4. In a coupler having a knuckle and a lock, means for transmitting operative movement to said knuckle through said lock comprising a rotor mounted on the bottom wall of said coupler, a rotor lever having a jaw end engaging a fiattened portion of said rotor to rotate therewith and having limited slidable movement thereon, and a toggle pivotally connected at the opposite end of said lever and engaging said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having complementary Shoulders engageable with each other as said jaw end'is moved upwardly along said rotor when said rotor is in locked position andjsaid'coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock, said jaw end "**having'radial portions: forward'arid aft the shoulder thereon for complementary'engagement with a radial portiomon saidbottom wall; one of said .v

radial portions on said lever being adapted to en- -g'agej'said radial portion on said bottom wall when i. Said Shoulders` are'in 'abutment With each other. 5. Ina'rotary'type *couplerthaving a 1o`ck" and a`^rotorl for actuation" thereof ,support-f' means on the bottom wall of said coupler, a rotor pivoted in said means and having a portion with parallel side walls, a rotor lever having a jaw end with parallel faces mounted on said portion for slidable and rotary movement, said jaw end and said Wall having interlocking means engageable upon said slidable movement when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jolts tending to unlock the lock, said interlocking means comprising engageable shoulders on said wall and said jaw end, said jaw end having radial areas fore and aft the shoulder thereon, one of said areas being engageable with a complementary area on said wall when said lever is rotated in an uncoupling direction and the other of said areas being engageable with said complementary area when said interlocking means are in engagement.

6. In a i'otary type coupler having a lock and a rotor for actuation thereof, support means on the bottom Wall of said coupler, a rotor pivoted in said means and having a portion with parallel side Walls, a rotor lever having a jaw end with parallel faces mounted on said portion for slidable and rotary mavement, said jaw end and said Wall having interlocking means engageable upon said slidable movement when said'rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock, said interlocking means comprising engageable Shoulders on said Wall and said jaw end, said jaw end having radial areas fore and aft the shoulder thereon for respective engagement with a complementary radial area on said wall under different Operating conditions.

7. In a coupler having a knuckle and a lock, means for transmitting operative movement to said knuckle through said lock comprising a rotor mounted on the bottom wall of said coupler, a rotor lever having a jaw end engaging a fiattened portion of said rotor to rotate therewith and having limited slidable movement thereon, and a toggle pivotally connected at the opposite end of said lever and engaging said lock, said jaw end and said bottom Wall having complementary shoulders engageable with each other as said jaw end is moved upwardly along said,

rotor When said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jolts tending to unlock the lock, said jaw end having radial portions for- Ward and aft the shoulder thereon for complementary engagement with a radial portion on said bottom wall.

8. In a coupler having a knuckle and a lock, means for transmitting operative movement to said knuckle through said lock -comprising a rotor mounted on the bottom wall of said coupler, a rotor lever having a jaw end engaging a fiattened portion of said rotor to rotate therewith and having limited slidable movement thereon, and a toggle pivotally connected at the opposite end of said lever and engaging said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having complementary Shoulders engageable with each other as said jaw end is moved upwardly along said rotor when ffwall, one '-of said?` 'radial riportions -on said: `:lever i being 1 adapted f to 'eiigagefi' said radial portion `on "said'ibolttomfwalliwhensaid.Shoulders are in abuti'in'ent'wtiheachnthefland the other of said radial iportions `o`n=saidirot`or=`being adapted to have slidablef' moveme'ntialongtsaid 'radial portion on said wall in unlocking movement of said rotor.

='-`9.' In `1afrailway-icaricoupler having a knuckle and a lock depending through an opening in the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, a means on said bottom wall supporting a rotor, a rotor pivotally mounted in said means, said rotor having a flattened portion, a rotor lever having a jaw end receiving said flattened portion for rotation therewith and slidable movement therealong, and a link connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said link having a shoulder adapted to engage said anticreep lug when elevated by movement of said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having interlocking means adapted to engage each other against accidental unlocking movement when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jars tending to unlock the lock.

10. In a coupler having a knuckle and a lock with a leg depending through the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, rotor-supporting means on said bottom wall, a rotor supported in said means and having a fiat portion With substantially parallel faces, a rotor lever having a jaw end with substantially parallel surfaces engaging said faces respectively and supported on said rotor for rotation therewith and slidable movement 'along said faces and surfaces, and a toggle connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said jaw end and said bottom Wall having interlocking means engageable as said lever is moved along said faces in an upward direction when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jolts tending to unlock the lock, said jaw end having radial surfaces fore and aft the shoulder thereon for engagement respectively with a complementary radial surface on said bottom wall under different Operating conditions.

11. In a coupler having a knuckle and a lock with a leg depending through the bottom wall of said coupler adjacent the front wall thereof, an anticreep lug on said front wall, rotor-supporting means on said bottom wall, a rotor supported in said means and having a fiat portion with substantially parallel faces, a rotor lever having a jaw end with substantially parallel surfaces engaging said faces respectvely and supported on said rotor for rotation therewith and slidable movement 'along said faces and surfaces, and a toggle connected between the opposite end of said lever and said lock, said jaw end and said bottom wall having interlocking means engageable as said levei` is moved along said faces in an upward direction when said rotor is in locked position and said coupler is subjected to jolts tending to unlock the lock.

12. In a rotor type coupler having a bottom wall with support means depending therefrom, a rotor pivoted in said means and having a flat portion with substantially parallel sides, a rotor lever slidably mounted on said fiat portion for rotary 7 8 movement therewith about the axis of said rotor, REFERENCES CITED and interengageable interlocklng means on said wall and said lever, said interlocking means com- The f0110Wing refel'eIlCeS are Of record in the prising complementary shoulders on said wall and file Of this Patenti said lever having abuttable faces substantially 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS parallel with the sides of said flat portion when said rotor and lever are in normal locked position, Number Name Date said interlocking means being adapted to be en- 1639300 Knne Aug' 16 1927 gaged by slidable movement of said lever on said 1'936'440 Kmne Jan- 1, 1935 fiat portion when said rotor is in locked position w 2399363 Schlesmger Apr' 30 1946 and said coupler is subjected to jolts tending to unlock the lock.

FRANK H. KAYLER. 

